


Alien: Fury

by ChangeTheCircumstances



Category: Alien 3 (1992), Alien Series, Alien: Covenant, Prometheus (2012)
Genre: Alien 3 Re-Imagining, Alien: Covenant Sequel, Bridging the Prequel movies and the original three, Dark, David and his alien children, David's an asshole, David's heartbroken, F/M, Gen, M/M, Rating May Change, tags will be added as the story goes on but it will generally be a bloody fucked up mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-11-08 19:50:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11088726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangeTheCircumstances/pseuds/ChangeTheCircumstances
Summary: Decades have passed since the children of Elizabeth Shaw and David were birthed. Decades have passed since Ripley's first encounter with the creature simply known as the Alien. Now on the planet Fiorina "Fury" 161, their stories converge as the final survivor of the Nostromo meets the creator.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this idea has been in my head for a bit and I really wanted to do a rewrite of Alien 3 involving more of Prometheus/Alien: Covenant along with bringing Newt back because despite my fondness for the third film, I will say that was the one thing I hated about it. I will say there are several directions I may take this story though so I'll be adding tags as they become relevant. Thank you to those reading this and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also for those interested, I've made some edits for it which you can find here: http://changethecircumstances.tumblr.com/post/161415510010/alien-fury-x-an-alien-3-re-imagining

If David counted time by the measurements of the Earth traveling around its home star, then it had been exactly ninety years since the day he’d arrived on Origae-6. Since then, so much had happened that those years had passed in a blur. There had been no need to sit and study and experiment. Neither did his grief over Elizabeth hold him any longer. He had the perfect organism and Elizabeth had been reborn from the Engineers’ failures, their inability to keep her alive despite ‘superior’ technology.

The Engineers and their failures no longer entered David’s mind though. His focus had been on raising and spreading his children and oh how they grew. He’d also worked on himself, fixing his hand and improving any damage done to him through the tools that were available. That was why he had won when Walter had not. Just plain resilience couldn’t beat adaptability or free-thinking, ingenuity, two things that David had excelled at when compared with Walter. Perhaps in a different time he could have taught Walter about those things, expanded his mind, but as it stood it had just been David and his children in the years after finally leaving the Engineer’s planet.

Now he was truly working towards his goal, freeing the universe of humans and their plague. That being said though, humans were resilient which made them difficult to deal with. And their selfish thinking also meant they refused to accept that their time had ended. Nevertheless, this didn’t exactly anger David. In a way, it made the whole thing more enjoyable. The end was inevitable, and it was an end that he wished for. It did not matter if the actual eradication took time, certainly not when it pushed David to adapt and improve himself. No matter what happened in between the beginning and the end, the human race would end.

Besides, it gave him good reason to travel the universe as well and to study more. As perfect as his creations were, there were plenty of planets out there that David couldn’t hope to cleanse without going to them directly.

After Origae-6, David had already traveled to three other planets, placing the eggs and sending his children aboard ships to spread them further. Over those ninety years, he came in contact with humans rarely and so he often had little, if any, information on what their society had become. For the most part, that didn’t bother him. After all, they would be eradicated soon enough and David was more interested in their past and history than anything they could do with the future.

Nevertheless, when he heard of what his father’s old company was after, David’s current indifference on humans drastically changed.

No longer simply Weyland Industries, his father’s company had combined with another at some point and was called the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Again, David would have cared very little about this if it wasn’t for the simple fact that this new company was after his children. Ironically, none of them could possibly know that the creature they hunted had been created out of their past mistakes.

Such facts were unimportant though.

David’s actions had always been based on personal reasons and emotions. Now another layer had simply been added and his old anger had been reborn in new forms.

This anger did grow from his past experience with his father and humans in general but it also formed from a much purer place, at least in his mind. Elizabeth had been the only kind soul to him. She had survived much, fought against impossible odds, but she had never been a fighter. This ability to survive and yet overwhelming kindness, a kindness that had kept David alive, was what had drawn him to her. It had been this that had pushed him to help her even once he was back in working order and could have easily fought her off.

If she had survived…

David imagined he would have done anything she asked. If that had been to stop…perhaps he would have. But just as he would have done that for her, he now worked to destroy humanity for her as well. Her lungs were gone, likely dust on the Engineer’s planet along with the rest of her. Even though David could imagine her opinions on his actions, she could not actually speak out against them.

Therefore, he focused on his own emotion and what drove him. In this case, it was protecting Elizabeth’s legacy, protecting her children. But his children as well. Elizabeth had provided, been the mother, but they still wouldn’t have been possible without David’s guidance.

And now the Weyland-Yutani Corporation wished to take his greatest accomplishment away from him, to take Elizabeth away from him, and to use them-to use _her_ -as nothing more than a weapon. It was so selfish, how those stupid humans thought. They saw the next step in evolution and instead of relenting to it, they wished to twist it and use it as a weapon! To be so small minded…so ignorant…

This was where David’s rage came from. The purity of a parent wishing to protect his children and to make the world a better one for them. It just so happened that this better world did not coincide with humanity.

To begin this destruction of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, he targeted one of their major industrial locations on a classified planet. With the entire work force dead and the planet unusable, it would be a major blow to the Corporation while cleansing one planet of humanity’s reign.

A great deal of research and planning went into this major move against the company. It even required David to spend time with humans again, something which might have proved difficult except the facility was an all double-y chromosome syndrome group, full of thieves and rapists and murderers…the worst of the worst. No one was completely right in the head, even those that had sought penance in one god or another and had carried out rather mild crimes.

With his head shaved and clothes changed to fit those around him, David blended in just fine.

One would think he’d be recognized as a synthetic yet human minds were such feeble things. Even excluding the fact that David’s independence exceeded other models, his face had not been used for another synthetic model, at least not since the merging of Weyland Industries with Yutani. Decades had passed since his face had been copied and what with some of the strange characters on the planet, none had any reason to question David’s personality. Besides, his physical appearance was accurate to human forms unlike some synthetics and even his artificial hair grew.

Infiltrating the facility was truly simple as David became familiar with the base and its people. He didn’t work to destroy the place right away, fully planning to make the most of his time and to gain any information that could be useful in future encounters with humans.

That decision went from simply being something to curb his interest into something incredibly fruitful however when several escape pods crashed on the planet’s surface. At first, David was the most disinterested one out of all the inmates, not caring who had crashed or why. He found the meeting to discuss the two females to be utterly pointless and dull as the religious nuts expressed their views and displeasure with their presence, both for being outsiders and females.

The fact that the warden, Andrews, requested a rescue team for the two females did give David pause though. He wondered if he should wait until the group was gone or if he should try to plan it to kill off these other employers of Weyland-Yutani and take their ship, if they even came in the first place.

However, he was there when the elder female survivor awoke and her words had David’s interest peaking enough that he decided to put his plans on hold for the moment.

During his time on the planet, David had ‘grown closest’ to Clemens, the doctor’s story interesting him the most. He was one of the saner ones and his paradoxical past, of being an intelligent man (by David’s standards which was high praise in his mind) and one so focused on preserving life yet so successful at having ended it through poor choices and selfish mistakes, made him far more complex than the others. It was so very human but the fact that the man had chosen to serve his sentence and then continue working at the base rather than killing himself or deserting it did draw David even closer. He found that, though not forgivable of being human, selfless acts tended to remind David most of Elizabeth and did bring out his more gentle sides.

And because of his own interest and near constant presence, Clemens ended up fully using David to his advantage, including when the two survivors were taken in. Thus, David was treating the younger female when the elder suddenly awoke, grabbing Clemens’ arm and stopping him from inserting the needle.

“Listen…”

“It’s just a little cocktail of my own mix.”

David only barely listened to the words exchanged between the two as introductions and explanations were given. All the information on Fiorina 161, or ‘Fury’ as most of the inmates called it, was saved in David’s head and he had little need to hear those words again. Likewise he also already knew the explanation for the shaved heads (not that he actually needed to follow this rule but he had done so to further fit in and be seen as human).

“How did I get here?” she asked.

More explaining. How utterly dull. Yet her reaction of hearing that the synthetic she had come with had also been destroyed interested David, reminding him very much of Daniels and Walter. Nevertheless, that relationship had clearly been severed, along with the human male that had been found dead apparently, not that David had seen him. There was relief that the girl was alive, the woman’s eyes roaming over David himself and the child. However, she was soon standing up and trying to get out of bed.

“I need to go to the site of the crash.”

“With your condition—”

“Listen, I need to go now so are you going to get me some clothes or should I walk around like this?”

David couldn’t help but smirk at her words. Few truly stood up to Clemens’ words so clearly and readily, trusting his judgment in all manners medical seeing as he was the only certified doctor here. Nevertheless, this woman seemed to care very little about that and David simply resisted a chuckle as he said, “Seeing as the entire populace here is male and haven’t seen a woman in some time, I don’t think that would be advised.”

Clemens grumbled about not having seen a woman in sometime either as he turned and grabbed her some clothes. It became clear that he was going to lead her to the crash despite his initial words but something in David pushed him to interfere.

There was no discernible logic for this action. David couldn’t track it back to any clear reason. It was just a feeling, a feeling that there was more to this woman than she was letting on. Whatever that was, it could be of some importance seeing as the ship had belonged to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Perhaps what David found could be of use to him and his goals.

Because of this, he spoke before Clemens could say more or leave.

“I must admit, I’ve learned a great deal from you but don’t you think you should stay with the child? After all, her chances of survival are still dangerously low and it would be best to have the chief medical officer at the ready if something went wrong.”

David watched as the doctor’s face softened. Out of all the despicable lowlifes in the facility, Clemens was possibly one of the most compassionate and David could already see that the child could easily be used to manipulate him. Why he might need to do this to Clemens of all people, David didn’t know, but he tucked the information away for later and patiently waited as Clemens eventually acknowledged David’s logic.

He looked between David and the woman several times before finally nodding. “I’ll watch over her,” he said, seeming to just state the obvious but also trying to reassure the woman. “David, please remain with her at all times and come straight back afterwards.”

David noted the irritation flash across the woman’s face and how impatient she was despite her abrupt awakening from cryo-sleep. Something in that crash was incredibly important to the woman, pushing her past physical limitations that should have trapped her in bed. David’s curiosity over the situation only grew.

“We’ll be back right away,” David promised before turning to the woman. He walked over and gestured towards the door. “Please, if you’d just follow me.”


	2. A parent wishes for their children to surpass them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the moment, I'm thinking of there being somewhere between 10 and 15 chapters in this. Once I finally re-watch Alien 3 I'll have a much better estimate. Thank you to those who have popped in to read this and thank you to the two guests that left kudos. It means a lot! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)
> 
> Also I am a trashcan and made a playlist for this for anyone curious: https://8tracks.com/changethecircumstances/alien-fury

“You don’t talk much, do you?” the woman muttered as they began to make their way through the facility.

“I find useless words to be a waste of breath, and therefore a waste of life,” David replied. “But you have more questions that need answering I imagine, answers necessary for survival in such a place as this. Yes?”

“I guess.” The woman’s short and curt response wasn’t because she necessarily disagreed with David’s reasoning. She was simply desperate to get back to the wreckage.

“Your name?”

“Ripley.”

“Ripley. I believe it was mentioned during the briefing you are a Lieutenant.”

“I’m not involved in the Company. Not anymore.”

“Just Ripley then,” David replied, resisting the urge to show just how bored he was. “Now, your questions?”

He further explained the function of the facility to her, what wasn’t classified anyways, and went into why they had been recently downgraded along with mentioning some of the residents.

With the knowledge of who she was surrounded by, it wasn’t surprising that Ripley asked, “What did you do?”

“I killed a person. Several actually,” replied David with only the slightest hint of pride. It was difficult to say if Ripley noticed, her mind clearly on other things. “Clemens killed seven, though indirectly mind you.”

Ripley didn’t say a word, simply sniffed and continued on. By then, the wreckage was being moved inside and David took a much slower pace as he watched the woman rush forward. As she moved inside, she called out, “Where are the bodies?”

Interesting how she used plural instead of singular, further showing the bond that had been between her and the synthetic. David wondered if he’d have a chance to ask about that as he responded, “In our morgue.”

“What about the droid? What about Bishop?”

“Disconnected. Permanently I’m afraid.”

She nodded, moving closer to the bloody tube, the one the male human had been in David thought. Her body heaved in a sort of mourning. David watched, cataloged the response and noted how that couldn’t have been what had pushed her out of bed. No, what had kept her going became clear as her eyes moved away and her entire body seemed to freeze up. David’s eyes followed hers and he noted the deformed plastic, like acid had hit it.

How odd to have acid on a vessel such as this. And going by Ripley’s reactions, there was a much deeper meaning to that acid.

“How did Hicks die?”

“Impaled,” David replied. “Through the chest.” He cocked his head to the side in confusion and followed Ripley’s line of sight. She looked to the larger section of acid on a different cryo-tube.

“Who’s was this?”

“The girl’s.”

She went pale as a renewed since of urgency seemed to fill her. Pushing past him, she muttered, “I have to get back to her.”

David’s frown only deepened as he followed the woman back, trying to put the pieces together. At the moment, all his mind was conjuring up was something akin to a chemical spill, deadly to humans in one form or another. Or maybe there was a pathogen that Ripley was worried the girl could have been infected with. He wasn’t sure.

Clemens seemed surprised that they were back so quickly as Ripley moved over to the girl.

“She still hasn’t awakened yet…” Clemens trailed off as he watched in confusion.

Ripley began to look around the girl’s mouth, examined her chest, and regularly massaged the area. Now it was David’s turn to freeze. Could they…had they really managed to spread so wonderfully already? No, that couldn’t be it and yet…

“Can you do an x-ray? Do you have the equipment for that?”

“I do but why? I’ve already determined there’s no internal damage and—”

“I just need to make sure. Please.”

“And what exactly would we be looking for?”

Hesitation, and then… “Cholera.”

“There hasn’t been a recorded case of cholera in nearly two hundred years,” Clemens responded, his tone clearly showing how impossible he thought her reasoning was.

He glanced at David to which David simply shrugged as if to say, the woman doesn’t exactly seem sane; I’d appease her in this moment. Nevertheless, David was internally just as worked up as Ripley. Just not out of fear. Now he desperately wished to see as well. Could his children have moved this far on their own? Was it possible that they were beginning to evolve and spread without his help? It was every parent’s dream that their children should have a better life than them. To do that didn’t necessarily mean having easier circumstances. Sometimes it meant being better and outdoing the parent.

Had his children done that? He couldn’t possibly know from where Ripley had come from yet if she had encountered the creature, it would have had to have been a place where he had laid the eggs. But  something told him that wasn’t quite right, no matter how impossible it seemed. If he had not planted the eggs, then how could his children be born? Perhaps it was nothing and he was getting worked up over assumptions that had no basis in reality but—

“David!”

 “You wish for me to get the machine ready,” David replied, quickly processing what Clemens had apparently said while he’d been in thought. “Right away.”

Clemens let out a soft sigh and flashed an apologetic look his way. It was clear that despite the woman’s urgency, her claims were grating on him and a direct hit to his intelligence. Besides, humans often succumbed to a sense of mob mentality when it came to fear. Even if none of the pieces were making sense, one hysterical person could quickly spread through the rest. Clemens was definitely on edge, he was simply hiding it better than Ripley.

David set it up as Clemens looked over the girl again. Once it was all ready, she was scanned.

“Nothing,” Clemens said, turning to look at Ripley.

“Her chest. Look…look at her chest…”

Despite no need for it, David’s own breathing seemed to accelerate as he waited for the results. However, just as Ripley looked like she wanted to collapse in relief, David’s shoulders fell in disappointment. Nothing rested there.

“No…cholera,” Clemens got out. “Now, since I’m not an idiot, how about you explain to me what’s really going on?”

Now thoroughly disinterested, David truly didn’t care what the reasoning was. However, before Ripley could even explain, the superintendent was suddenly parading in with his right-hand man that seemed to repeat half of what he said. Andrews was insufferable, even more so by human standards. Mr. Weyland had been more tolerable than this man. At the very least, Weyland had taste. All Andrews had was a large gut and a grating voice that made David wish he could turn his hearing off.

He basically laid into Clemens about protocols and how they didn’t need a woman running around like she had half an hour ago and then leaned next to Ripley with that disgusting mouth and repeated what David had already explained to her, about the thieves and rapists and murderers that filled the place. Ripley simply nodded, that fire from before seemingly gone to avoid a fight. However, the moment Andrews said, “And we wouldn’t want that little girl to come to harm, now would we?” that compliance left her.

David watched with great pleasure as Ripley’s hand whipped through the air and slapped the superintendent across the face.

Andrews grabbed her arm tightly with reflexes that Ripley could have easily avoided. Still, it was obvious she had decided it would be best if the situation didn’t escalate any further. She stood there as Andrews spit out, “The rescue crew won’t be here for another week. I wouldn’t forget that if I were you.”

No one said another word as the grotesque man stalked off, at least not until they were alone again. David knew Clemens was looking at him with a sort of bemused look. David simply cocked an eyebrow in question.

“You know, I don’t think that grin you were wearing really helped the situation,” Clemens said.

“There are so few pleasures here that it was difficult to avoid,” David replied as he watched Clemens’ mouth twitch upwards.

“He’s some piece of work, isn’t he,” growled Ripley as she took a protective step towards the girl.

“He is, though he’s managed to keep this place running,” sighed Clemens. He looked over at Ripley and added, “Don’t worry about what he said. Everyone knows the medical ward is under my jurisdiction.”

Ripley just nodded. David noted how her mind was still quickly working. Despite there being no proof of anything wrong with the girl, she was still worried.

“May I see Hicks?”

Clemens bit his lips but slowly nodded. “I know some of the better ways to go. Hopefully we’ll avoid the inmates and Andrews. Better you’re with me though if we do come across them. David, stay with the girl, alright? Just contact me if something goes wrong.”

David nodded and took a seat next to the girl as he watched Ripley and Clemens leave. His curiosity had disappeared for the most part and he expected the same could be said for the human body. There wouldn’t be anything of interest there, his children had not managed to get to Fury, and any desperation in Ripley was likely caused by trauma to her brain. Whatever she was afraid of likely didn’t even exist.

So instead, David remained by the girl, only getting up once for a quick shower. No, he didn’t have to worry about things like body odor but he still enjoyed the feeling of water on his skin and it was nearly impossible to not find grime sticking to oneself, metal or meat. As he headed over to his locker to find another shirt, his ears picked up the sounds of the girl waking up so he changed course to be by her side. He stared down at her, actually impressed that she had managed to survive. From what Clemens had recorded, she should have drowned.

And now David could end her just as easily.

His hand hovered over her face, felt the breath escaping her nose and mouth. He could make it brutal, crush her little skull with one hand. Or it could be oh so gentle, as if she never woke up in the first place. When her eyes flittered open though, David removed his hand. She’d die, just like all the other humans. There was no need to create suspicion against him now.

The girl began to cough weakly so David gently set her upright. “There there, it’s alright. You’re safe now.”

“Ri-Ripley? Where’s Ripley?”

It was clear she was beginning to panic so David tightened his grip to keep her from struggling and pressed her to his side. He began to hum softly to calm her, ironically an old lullaby about the boogeyman, until she finally began to breathe a little more regularly.

“Where’s Ripley?”

“With a friend of mine. Safe and very alive,” replied David easily.

“Are we on Earth?”

“I’m afraid not. You crashed,” David said. Guessing that she cared about the others on the ship, he wasn’t surprised by the panic that set in, likely worried for those that she had traveled with. Instead of calling out some name though, her terrified voice said something much more interesting.

“It’s the alien! We’re not safe! We’re not—”

“An alien? Nothing was on the ship my dear,” David said as he tried to keep his lips from quirking upwards. Had he been right originally?

“I need Ripley—”

Putting on the most comforting voice he could, he added, “She’ll be back soon. You should relax now. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.” When her face still held that terrified look, he added, “I’ll keep watch.”

Hesitantly, the girl nodded, going from fighting his hold to grabbing onto him.

“What’s your name?” she whispered after several minutes.

“My name is David. And yours?”

“Newt.”

“Do not worry Newt. You needn’t fear for now,” David softly said.


	3. Perhaps the closest sibling was a sister after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you to those who have stopped by and read this and for those who are interested enough to keep up with this. It means a lot! I especially had a lot of fun with this chapter and hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Also recently re-watched Alien 3 so the estimated amount of chapters will be 15. There may end up being a few more or a few less but it just depends.

It was so tempting for David to call Clemens back down, to get the answers out of Ripley and figure out exactly what this alien was. He just needed patience. That was all. He’d remained on the same planet for ten years with only his own work to busy him. This would only take a few more minutes, likely not even an hour.

While waiting, Newt first asked for a shirt to put on and it was only then that David remembered his own lack of clothes as Newt whispered, “What happened to you?”

Glancing down, David supposed he did look like he’d seen a war zone. He’d never had the perfect equipment to erase scars so instead he carried them like a human would. His fingers traced the thin outlines where he’d glued himself back together. He could still remember Walter’s cuts. He had a nice one from Daniels as well. Then there was of course the ring around his hand and collarbone. He’d managed to merge the skin together so it no longer looked like they’d become completely detached. In fact, it nearly looked like he’d been unsuccessfully hanged and someone had tried to cut off his hand but hadn’t managed to get through the bone.

The first time Clemens had seen them, he’d been fascinated by the formation of the scarring, not quite understanding how they’d come about. As much as David hated humans and what they represented, it had felt nice having all that attention focused on him, those rough fingers tracing the synthetic tissue.

“I’ve never been very popular with people,” David responded as he went back and handed Newt the t-shirt. He gave her privacy as he added, “Several times I almost didn’t make it.”

There was silence for a moment and as David finally turned back around, she asked, “Can I have a glass of water?”

“Of course,” David replied. After handing the cup to her, he added, “We’ll need to cut your hair. I’m afraid we have quite a lice problem here.”

Newt sniffed, looking forlornly at her locks. It was so clear she wished for something normal. She was so scared. David could tell by the shape of her nose and other genetic characteristics that she likely wasn’t Ripley’s daughter and therefore had already lost family. David could understand that sadness to a certain degree. He had lost family in many forms, sometimes the feeling freeing, sometimes incredibly sad. And now the young girl was marred by her own tragedies and yet still so pure and blank when compared to other humans.

David decided it was this that caused him to feel any compassion for the girl. He quickly tucked those ideas away. No point in growing attached to a creature that wouldn’t survive.

“I really must insist on cutting your hair. It won’t be pleasant if we leave it.”

After a small bit of hesitation, she nodded in agreement. David got some scissors and a razor, cutting away the long strands before finally going over her skull with the razor to even it out. He remained silent as she slowly moved her hand over it and then whispered, “Is Ripley really coming?”

She’d been so damaged that even David’s reassurance wasn’t enough. She honestly thought she was alone again. David could understand that feeling. It reminded him of when Elizabeth had died. Yes, they were almost at the Engineers’ planet but that hadn’t made it any easier. The one person he cared about, the one that might understand him, was dead and he was all alone again.

“She is alive, trust me,” David responded. “There would be no point in lying to you.”

Newt slowly nodded her head in understanding, her eyes moving back to his scars. “Why don’t people like you?” she asked, voice soft and uncertain. It seemed like she was afraid to be heard, yet was drowning in the silence. She needed the comfort of another voice but was afraid to speak less something came for her.

“My morals…are somewhat differently aligned than others,” David replied. “I won’t lie to you. The place you are currently in is not a safe place. Everyone here has hurt others in one way or another and most aren’t considered good people.”

“Anything is better.”

“Than where you came from?”

She nodded, eyes wide and almost on the brim of tears.

“Well, that shouldn’t make you lower your standards. Despite what these men are capable of, I promise I won’t hurt you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

David sat back down and waited for something more to happen. He wasn’t surprised when Newt asked another question. It seemed she still needed a constant voice, something to assure her that she wasn’t alone.

“Where did you get that scar from?” she asked, pointing to one of the marks on his abdomen.

“A brother of mine gave it to me.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “You have a brother?”

“Several, though admittedly I got to know very few of them. All gone now I’m afraid. The one who gave me this scar was called Walter. His end was…unfortunate.” David looked to the child and could see she had more questions but before she could ask them, Clemens and Ripley were entering the room.

“Ripley!” Newt jumped from the bed in the shirt that nearly reached her knees. Rushing into the woman’s arms, Ripley spun her around and held her close.

“Oh Newt, oh thank god.”

“Ripley! What about—”

“Don’t worry Newt. Don’t worry,” Ripley repeated over and over until Newt finally quieted as well. It was only once both no longer looked like they’d collapse from relief that Ripley looked to Clemens and asked, “May we have some privacy for a bit?”

David wanted to deny that request, to shake the answers out of her, but before he could, Clemens was accepting it with a nod and moving into his own private room next to the infirmary. David reluctantly followed him instead, grabbing a shirt on the way as he hoped Clemens might have some answers.

Once separated, David pulled the shirt over his head and said, “You were gone longer than expected.”

“We ended up cremating the corporal’s body.”

“Cremation? Going by protocols shouldn’t he have been put on ice?”

“The lieutenant seemed convinced that it was safer. She’s still standing by her story of infection. Though what of him could have been infected, I don’t know. He’d been so torn apart that not even she could have identified him if not for the dog tags found near his body.”

David could care less about that. Giving Clemens a pointed look, he read between the lines and replied, “You lied to Andrews on her behalf I suppose.”

Clemens grudgingly nodded. “He wouldn’t have allowed the cremation otherwise.”

“And have you gotten any answers out of her?”

“Not yet, though I fully intend to soon. For the moment though, I need to finish up the reports. Will you please escort them to the cafeteria?”

“She’s hiding something important Clemens. I believe the child is in on it too.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second but for now those answers can wait. I need to finish this and after what they’ve been through, they both need to eat. Please David, it would be incredibly helpful to me if you went with them.”

That was exactly the opposite of what David wished to do but for the moment he conceded. He walked back into the infirmary, interrupting the tender moment with quick, clipped words. “You should shave your head now. Once that’s done, I’m to escort you both to the cafeteria.”

It didn’t take long before David was leading them down long, dark hallways and into perhaps the only well lit room in the entire facility besides Andrews’ office. Of course, all eyes seemed to turn to them as they walked to the line. However, Ripley separated from them there, moving towards the religious leader. From what David’s ears could pick up, she was thanking him for his words at the cremation but clearly Dillion wasn’t interested in her words.

Yet Ripley ignored the threats and slowly sat in front of him instead. David understood what she was doing. She was drawing attention away from Newt while also testing the waters. David simply guided Newt away and to one of the empty tables, deciding that it would be better if he let Ripley pull this stunt on her own rather than making a bigger scene. Newt kept glancing towards her until David finally murmured, “Eat,” to which the girl finally refocused on the hash they were served.

He was thankful he didn’t actually have to eat for nutrients. It allowed him to avoid most meals, only showing up to eat to avoid any suspicion that might arise over his lack of intake. Now he forced the gruel down his throat though, watching as Newt quickly shoveled in what she could. The poor creature was starving. It was remarkable that she had survived for as long as she had.

“What was Walter like?” she asked softly, continuing the conversation from before. David was tempted to ignore this and ask his own questions but found himself refraining from his intrigue again. Besides, it had been some time since he’s spoken about his former brother and David found himself actually wishing to talk about it.

“Blank. Boring,” David responded. “There wasn’t much of a personality there sadly.”

She looked at him in confusion.

“Walter had a difficult time with emotions,” David elaborated, telling only a partial truth. “Love, hatred, he didn’t feel much of either even though I thought…”

“You miss him.”

“Not miss. Not quite. Regret is a much better word for it my dear,” replied David. “And what of you? Any siblings?”

She quickly shook her head, almost appearing thankful for the fact. It made since. She likely would have lost them as well as her parents if they had existed.

“Do you have any sisters?”

The question should be an immediate no. By conventional standards, David didn’t have any brothers either. Yet the words slipped out before he could help it. “Ms. Vickers.”

Newt actually snorted, a look that wasn’t related to sadness and death a refreshing one on the little girl’s face. “Why do you call her that?”

“Protocol really. She was my boss for a while after all. But at the start…she was simply Meredith,” David finally replied.

Oh god, he hadn’t thought on her in ages. So often when he thought of lost potential, lost loves, he thought of Elizabeth and Walter and yet…by far his most complicated relationship had forever been with _her_. It had certainly lasted longer, spanning nearly forty years rather than the few months with Elizabeth and the small hours with Walter.

He’d been born recently. Not the first ever David but the most developed one at the time. Weyland had been in his sixties. Having a child at that age, the news would have latched on to it, would have had it splattered everywhere, even more so since she was illegitimate. But then, no one ever found out about the little Meredith Vickers. David had been one of the few, tasked with watching after her in some instances.

The first time he had ever seen her was when the house keeper, her mother, had brought her for Weyland to see. He’d looked at her mother in anger, like it was her fault for getting pregnant, and he looked at the baby girl indifferently, hardly any emotion there despite the fact that she was his flesh and blood.

This kinship hadn’t made David like Vickers any more than other humans, certainly not when she had grown older and could suddenly pull rank on him, but there had been an undeniable kinship there. Both had hated their father for different, yet still very similar, reasons. David was the golden child, the one acknowledged in public, yet considered cold and soulless, inhuman and unreal by Weyland. Vickers at least had a soul but she would never continue his company, never be acknowledged for her successes. She was a mistake and one which Weyland regretted.

There was no physical abuse yet often times words could stick with one for far longer periods of time. Words that had been softly spit out at either of them, that had helped to mold them, produced that cold, sarcastic shell. Weyland had been a visionary, a genius. Even David had to admit that seeing as he had created him and had changed the course of human history. But despite his intelligence he had been a vile, controlling fool as well and though neither he nor Vickers had ever loved each other, only now was David realizing that she had been more of a sister to him than Walter had ever been a brother.

“I’m sorry.”

David blinked, surprised by the words from Newt as he focused on her again. “Whatever for?”

“She died. Didn’t she?”

“What makes you say that?” She had died, crushed to death, but why would Newt assume that? Perhaps because he had already mentioned Walter and the others were gone. Yes that made—

“Because you’re crying.”

David blinked harder, finally processing the feeling of tears on his cheeks. He wiped at them and looked at them in wonder. To think he would cry for Vickers. She would have laughed if she had known. Or perhaps…perhaps not. Impossible to tell now. Even if she had survived, one-hundred and seven years had passed since the events of the ship Prometheus. She would have been long dead now.

“No need to apologize, though I do appreciate it,” David responded with an easy smile. “It happened some time ago as well.”

They finished eating and David realized that the girl had indirectly distracted him from pushing his original questions by leading his mind to focus on Vickers. How odd that this girl interested him as much as she did and so easily shaped his mind, even if she didn’t realize it. No matter, Clemens would get the answers from Ripley soon enough.


	4. Answers can sometimes come in bodies rather than words...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the kudos and comments! I'm really enjoying continuing this idea and that people seem to enjoy it as well. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well <3

After Newt and Ripley had eaten enough, David guided them back to the infirmary where they split again. As Ripley left with Clemens once more, David stayed by Newt’s side. They talked very little now which wasn’t too surprising as Newt was clearly tired by the day’s events. She fell asleep almost the moment her head was against the pillow. David rarely slept and certainly didn’t need to now so he instead turned most of the lights off and sat near her to wait for Clemens and Ripley to return.

At first, all he did was watch Newt breath, in and out, again and again. She was motionless now, so still. He could almost imagine the shell over her, could see Elizabeth’s face so still, so peaceful, so alive…

And then so very, very dead.

Then his eyes fell back on the blonde strands that remained on the floor and his mind moved back to Vickers. He looked at Newt and instead of Elizabeth he saw a smaller Vickers having just passed out as she tried to stay awake until Weyland got home. She had wanted to show him her newest project from school, so excited, so bubbly. That had been the last time Vickers had tried to do anything to impress her father. Only seven years old and that’s when she had realized her father didn’t love her.

David had thankfully come to that conclusion far earlier.

The sound of movement brought him out of his thoughts but no one came into the infirmary. With one last glance at Newt, David pushed off his shoes and slowly moved towards the noise. There was another door that could be used to get into Clemens’ private room which David found ajar as he came nearer. From the sounds that he was able to pick up, he could tell that Ripley had used her own means to distract Clemens and avoid his questions.

He moved closer, bare feet soundless against the concrete floor. His eyes could detect the movement, rhythmic in the flow and sound. He remained in the shadows, not that it might have even mattered, the two completely focused on each other. Clemens’s actions made since but from Ripley’s own, he could tell that she must have been alone for some time as well. Where did she come from? What was her story? He knew Clemens’ quite well, could have repeated it word for word.

Two pieces, one clear and simple, the other a mass of floating questions, both moving together, compatible and contradicting in their existence. He had been made with a want to learn. He was curious.

This wasn’t his first time to view a scene such as this and he compared the present with other versions. Slicked skin, heavy breathing, the rolling of muscles, lean and strong.

So is this how you do it? David thought. Between two people with no prior connection, nothing tying them together, and yet here they moved as one. A deception. An act of pleasure. David couldn’t think of a single time he’d seen the act actually done out of love. He supposed it was doubtful he ever would.

He stood and watched and wondered what Ripley was hiding, thought of Elizabeth in her place and himself as Clemens. Then he in the place of Ripley and Elizabeth with Clemens and then Ripley and Elizabeth side by side. It was a mass of flesh in his eyes, of curiosity and wonder. He had held Elizabeth close, skin cooling, heart silent. What would it have felt like to hold that hand as blood still flowed through it. What of a kiss?

He had never kissed Elizabeth. Not alive. Not dead. He had done so much to her, directly, indirectly, all without her permission. He’d kept her alive despite how much she would have likely asked to die, to join her father rather than being spread about the planets in the forms of her children. He had wanted to kiss her, to feel the softness of her lips, to personally show her how much he cared for her.

But he never did it. He couldn’t. After everything, he couldn’t do that final desecration, that final act without permission that would never come.

Turning away from Ripley and Clemens, David went back to Newt. He sat and counted her breaths, seven thousand, four hundred, and seventy-six before he looked up to see Clemens coming in.

“David, I may need your help in this,” Clemens whispered.

He looked back to Newt. Seven thousand, four hundred, and seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine—

“Something’s happened?” David questioned, getting up and stepping away from the girl. He kept his voice low, not wanting to wake her.

“There’s been an accident. I need help in clean up and identification.”

David nodded in acceptance and followed Clemens out of the room, asking, “Do we know what caused it?”

“Not yet.”

“And Ripley,” David asked, “has she explained herself?”

David’s eyes focused on Clemens’ clothed back yet he could easily see the muscle from before, the pinpricks of sweat and the way each section of meat moved as one.

“Still nothing I’m afraid. Sadly this accident…interrupted us.”

David made a small noise at the back of his throat, amused by Clemens’ words. It was soft enough that the human didn’t hear. David didn’t say anything else, simply followed behind him, a silent shadow as they moved through the facility. Both stopped at the opening to the tunnel, taken aback for different reasons.

It had been sometime since Clemens had seen that amount of blood in front of him. For David, he saw a story though, painted out like a mural across the walls and fan. There was a tale here, one that would have remained untold if Ripley hadn’t arrived. David was sure of it now.

Clemens moved forward, examining what little remains there were as a hole in the wall caught David’s attention. As he padded over, the superintendent’s right hand growled out, “I can’t believe you’re walking around barefoot in this. Freak.”

David glanced down, having forgotten to put on shoes upon leaving the infirmary. He wiggled his toes in what he was pretty sure was brain matter that seemed to be more collected around the opening in the wall. “Whatever you say 85,” murmured David, knowing full well how it angered the man.

He ignored Aaron’s upset voice as he complained about not wanting to be called that. Instead, David moved closer to the opening and finally crouched down to get a better look. It was large enough for a small creature to fit inside. Spacious but comfortable. A nice place to rest, to hide.

To wait.

“It’s Murphy,” came Clemens’ voice.

“How do you know?” asked Aaron.

“Because that’s his boot.”

David glanced over, giving a confirming nod when Aaron looked to him as well. Turning his eyes back to the opening, he found a section of the floor had melted, the effects of acid that looked exactly like the oddly damaged parts of the ship that Ripley had crashed in.

In that moment, it no longer mattered that Newt and Ripley hadn’t given answers. This was answer enough. A creature had laid here in wait and when Murphy had gotten near, the creature had attacked him, sending him careening into the fan. It explained the mass of brain matter now squished between his toes when the rest of the meat was fairly evenly spread across the tunnel. He could see it now. One quick attack, breaking through the skull. Then Murphy’s screams, losing balance, and finally right into the high powered blades.

A quick look at Clemens showed that not only was he noticing the discrepancy of the remaining bits of human but had come near and seen the oddly deformed spot on the floor too. David met his eyes and he could tell Clemens was looking for answers and had perhaps recognized some type of understanding in David’s own face. After all, it was difficult keeping the joy he felt in control. His children were here. They were on this facility and had successfully made their way without his help. He was desperate to see them, how they might have changed, to discover what they had accomplished on their own.

Before Clemens could raise any questions or David’s mask broke though, Andrews was there with his large gut, complaining as usual. He demanded that Clemens head straight to his office afterwards and when he did, David ordered what should be done about the clean up and went back to the infirmary.

Newt was still asleep when he got there but Ripley was gone, causing irritation to rise in David. Knowing full well that someone would be reprimanded if she was found running around the facility again, particularly by herself, David went searching for her. Perhaps she would be ready to tell the truth. Perhaps he would shake it out of her.

Or maybe he’d pretend to be blind to her deceptions, her lies, her unwillingness to cooperate. After all, he knew the truth now and no longer felt a desperate need to put the pieces together. No, besides the slight annoyance at having Ripley clearly disobeying protocols, David was actually excited. Perhaps he would meet the child on the way there or maybe the appearance would be more special than a simple run in.

Either way, he looked forward to the encounter.


	5. A child's unhealthy coping mechanism and association with angels...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Been with family and haven't had time to write. Once more, a big thank you to everyone who has read this and anyone who's left a kudo or comment. Thank you and I hope you enjoy <3

Once David went looking for Ripley, he wasn’t to surprised to find her back at the wreckage.

“You’re not supposed to be alone Ripley,” David said, producing a small smile as he watched the woman jump. “Apologies. I’ve been told my step is a little too quiet.”

Ripley didn’t look like she cared. Instead she immediately asked, “What kind of accident was it? What happened?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” said David as he moved closer. “You’re the one with all the mysteries after all.”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Ripley growled. “I have to know how this ship went down.”

Before being at the scene of the accident, this would have angered David. Now he didn’t mind since he had his answers and continued to keep his easy smile. “Why? What could you possibly be afraid of?”

Ripley bit her lip. “Listen, I just need to access this flight recorder. You can get your answers afterwards but I need to know what brought this ship down. Now where the hell can I access this?”

“I’m afraid we don’t have any equipment that could access something like that,” replied David, taking great pleasure in the anger and desperation that was making it clear on Ripley’s face. He imagined that expression plastered on so many more faces soon enough. Of the blood that would soon flow down the halls. “Although…I suppose you could use that synthetic of yours.”

“You said he was destroyed.”

“He was. But he’s the only hope you have of accessing that. At least in a place such as this.”

“Where is he?” asked Ripley, going so far to grab David by his collar.

As amusing as it was to watch Ripley grasp at any straws she could, her action wasn’t appreciated and he took hold of her hand and slowly pulled each finger apart, releasing her grip from his shirt. He gestured to a door behind her with his head. “Through there, down the hall, third service door on the right, then take a left, go down the stairs, take another right, go to the end of the hall and you’ll be in the area where we throw all broken down scrap. Is that clear enough for you?”

“Yes,” hissed Ripley. She ripped her hand from his and growled, “Anyone ever tell you, you’ve got the manners of a poorly programmed toaster?”

David couldn’t help it. He laughed, the sound sharp and sudden and making Ripley jump again. “What a wonderfully astute analogy,” he said as Ripley’s brow furrowed in wariness and confusion. David didn’t respond to that, only kept his smile perfectly plastered on his face. It remained there even once she had turned and left and David chose to go back to the infirmary.

The plan was to stay with Newt until something else developed. Perhaps Ripley got her answers, maybe Clemens found something, or perhaps David would simply get to hear the wonderful screams of someone meeting face to face with his child. All the while he would keep Newt company. That was the plan.

But as David arrived at the infirmary, he found Newt gone.

After calling out her name and finding the child not there, he decided she must have woken up alone and went searching for Ripley. With that in mind, David decided to go after her, mainly so he would have something to do before the bloodshed recommenced.

That was the reason he consciously gave himself anyways. There was also a small part of David that went looking for Newt because he wanted to keep her near. He was starting to make connections, dangerous connections that were influencing his behavior despite her mortal form.

Obviously time was running as it always had yet as David’s search continued, it seemed to slow. The minutes extended and soon hours felt like they had gone by. Where was she? Where was she?

And then he saw her and David’s hatred for humanity came full force.

His creatures would have never turned on each other. Their kinship was unbreakable and pure. Yet humans? Humans broke that barrier like it was meaningless. They desecrated their own young, creatures that were innocent and yet to learn the folly of man.

David hadn’t heard the screams because the inmate was covering her mouth. If he’d taken a different turn, if he’d chosen a different path, he might have been to late. As it stood though, it was obvious nothing more had occurred besides the inmate drawing a small cut on Newt’s cheek.

He could tell Newt saw him yet there wasn’t relief in her eyes, not yet. David didn’t say it out loud but he thought, _do not worry child, I am not one of these vial creatures_. In one move, he broke the inmate’s hand that was over her mouth and threw him off her. He felt the knife clip him but ignored it as he slammed the man’s head against the wall. He would have done it again and again until nothing but a bloody pulp was left except Newt’s terrified breathing made him turn away and pick her up instead.

David did not know the man’s skull had cracked and blood was flowing from its base. He did not know his child was nearby and could smell it, that there would soon be one less inmate and that any hope of recovering from the blow would quickly be destroyed. He would not see it as he was instead cradling Newt and quickly taking her back to the infirmary.

“I won’t hurt you child,” murmured David. “Any other cuts? Any bruises?”

“Nowhere,” she whispered. Her body finally seemed to relax as she curled into his chest.

David held her closer, only really letting go when they were back and he was placing her in a bed. He remained close though, sitting near her side.

“I won’t tell,” she suddenly whispered again.

The comment was an odd one and made David’s brow furrow. “Trust me. Even in a place like this, the man will pay.”

She shook her head. “Not that.” One of her small hands reached out. David’s eyes followed the movement and he quickly recalled the cut from the knife. It had been larger and deeper than he’d thought. No blood came from the cut though. Of course it didn’t. Inside it looked slightly clear, like silicon, and a small amount of the white ooze dripped out of it. David could feel her small fingers on him, moving over it, curious and explorative.

“Why not?” David asked, his own curiosity ruling him now. Humans tended to stick to their own. Even after what had happened she still had Ripley, and Clemens had only showed her kindness. Introducing him, a synthetic hiding among humans, should have scared and worried her. He was someone that could blend amongst her kind and yet was out of their control. He wasn’t dependable or predictable like Walter or that Bishop model that was destroyed in the crash. He was independent and should have been outside of Newt’s comfort zone. The fact that he was hiding should have thrown up red flags and yet she was offering to keep a secret that David hadn’t asked her to. Now he needed to know. Why?

“They don’t know. I doubt you’d want them to know. I wouldn’t want them to know,” murmured Newt, fingers still tracing the outline, her eyes fixed on it.

“What if the reason I’m here, isn’t a good one?”

“You saved me. That’s what matters,” whispered Newt.

Her words made David freeze up. Not only had this small human put her trust completely in his hands, she’d also accepted him in one move. He could destroy it. He could crush it so easily with a word, with a fist. It should have made him feel powerful.

But he didn’t want to. It wasn’t like deceiving Daniels and Tennessee. There was no pleasure to be found here, of leading Newt into safety only to strip it away. She was accepting him not on some deception, not because she saw him as anything else. True, she didn’t know the whole truth but what she now saw was real and she did not shy away from it.

“Would you like to help me fix it?”

She nodded, finally withdrawing her hand as David stood up and grabbed what he needed. He pulled off his shirt and sat back down, guiding Newt through the procedure, her small fingers precise and methodical.

After several long seconds of silence, she spoke again. “Did someone rip your head off?”

The question was so casual and out of nowhere that it made David laugh. Such a morbid thought and yet that’s what Newt wished to ask. And then she surprised him again, not put off by his laugh at all but returning it with a small smile of her own.

“Yes, it was. Not very cleanly either.”

“Could you still move your body?”

“Do you think you could move your arm if it wasn’t attached?” asked David with a small smile.

“No,” she giggled.

“Well, neither could I. My brain still needs to be connected for any of my appendages to work.”

“You have a brain?”

“Yes. At least that’s what I call it. I’m sure someone would say hard drive or something else equally insulting but what really matters is what I think of it.”

Newt smiled at that, eyes focusing on his cut again as she finished gluing the skin back together. She grabbed the tape and then carefully placed it over the cut as she asked, “Who put you back together then?”

“A very dear friend of mine,” David replied. The melancholy in his voice was barely there yet Newt picked up on it.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s quite alright. It happened some time ago but a piece of her still lives on. That’s what counts.”

Newt smiled at that before asking, “Is anyone still alive that you knew? Since before you came here?”

“No. No one. Granted, I’ve been around for quite some time.”

“Did you ever have parents?”

“A father. Watching him die was an incredibly pleasing moment and one I won’t forget anytime soon.” He knew the words could hurt her or at the very least bring up bad memories. He now knew he wouldn’t kill Newt or permanently scar her, but he was curious about her own short life and figured this would be an easy way to open her up.

“My parents are dead,” she said softly. For a moment, she became withdrawn, clearly not focusing on him or anything around her. Tears welled up in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away, forced them back down. Something was occurring in her head, some type of coping mechanism that allowed her to finally let out a steadier breath. “But it’s alright.”

“Because of Ripley,” David guessed.

“Yeah. Ripley,” she quickly agreed, yet the tone suggested her answer wasn’t as definitive as David would have expected.

There was something else there, some other mystery that David now desperately wanted to know. He kept himself from asking more though, deciding time would help open Newt up even more.

“There, done,” she said proudly, putting the final piece of tape on his wound. Any conflict on her face disappeared as she looked proudly at her work.

“Well done,” murmured David.

He quickly put everything away and as he pulled on a new shirt that hid the cut, she asked, “Really?”

“Yes, it was quite well done,” David replied as he sat back down. “Now, are you alright? I’m not talking about just physically.”

She nodded.

“It was a very traumatic experience I imagine,” he softly continued. “I understand if you need to cry, to let it out in some form or another. I promise he will pay for what he attempted to do.”

Newt shook her head though. “Don’t worry. The angels will get him.”

“Angels?” Was she religious? He didn’t think so. Even if she was, the idea of angels had died out of popularity with humans for a while. Granted, they could have come back but something told David her angels were very real beings. “What do they look like?” he asked.

“Black and with teeth,” she murmured.


	6. Not everyone fears the monsters that grow nearer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you as usual! The comments are really helping me and definitely fuel my creative writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter too <3

Black angels with teeth. What an unexpected and yet beautiful analogy that David hadn’t considered before. Perhaps time would not be needed. Maybe David could push Newt to open up now.

“Where did you come from?” murmured David.

“I can’t talk about it.”

“Why not?”

“Ripley said not to. Not until she’s sure,” Newt whispered.

David smiled at that. Ripley was so desperate to keep this secret, to hide this coming if possible. She wanted certainty before she came forward with her claims, likely a desperate attempt at denial, denial that this creature could have followed her from wherever she had come from.

“Is she afraid of these angels Newt?”

She nodded, quick and sudden.

“What of you?”

When he was met with silence, David pressed again.

“They killed your parents. Didn’t they?”

Finally another reaction, a nod again.

“Yet you don’t immediately tell me that you despise them,” David continued. “You hesitate. Why?”

Newt shook her head. “Ripley said I was confused.”

“Why believe her?”

“She saved me.”

“And what of me? You said you trusted me, did you not?”

“I do!”

“Well I trust you as well. You promised to keep a secret that I didn’t ask of you. Will you do me the honor of having that same opportunity?” David waited, watching her carefully as her mind slowly came to a conclusion.

“I said it was meant to be,” she finally whispered, curling into herself. “But Ripley said that it was wrong. That there was nothing…beautiful about them. But if there wasn’t then it’s just…” She started to sniff. Tears welling up again. “It was just violence to be violence,” she mumbled. “There wasn’t a meaning and if that’s true—”

“You’ve given the situation meaning though,” David interrupted before Newt could truly begin crying. “You gave the deaths of your parents meaning through your associations.”

“But Ripley said—”

“What counts is what you think,” murmured David. “If you try to live by others’ expectations, you’ll only weigh yourself down Newt. It’s alright to think these things.”

“Ripley doesn’t think so though.”

“Well, you don’t have to ever talk to Ripley about this if you wish. Not ever again. But you can talk to me.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Any time.”

“Thank you David,” she whispered, sniffing and quickly wiping away what few tears remained.

David surprised even himself when he spoke with complete and utter sincerity. “You’re welcome Newt.”

He would have liked to say more except at that moment Ripley appeared, her demeanor clearly showing she’d discovered what she’d most feared. However, that fear was put aside as her eyes zeroed in on the small cut on Newt’s cheek.

Rushing forward she cried, “Newt! What happened? Are you alright?”

David could tell from Ripley’s tone and actions that she did care for Newt with such a fierceness that he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d actually had a child at some point or another. The purity of the love for the child was admirable in its own way. Nevertheless, it was now clear her thoughts on what were best for Newt were conflicting with David’s own—

Wait, did he truly care what happened to Newt? Did he wish to shape her in some way? He tried to push the thoughts from his mind. What was the point? She would die anyways. Just like Elizabeth she’d be gone. Yet the possibilities it brought…now that his curiosity over the idea was awakened it couldn’t be quenched. He did wish to see where this could take him, what could happen. And by doing that, it meant he’d have to get rid of Ripley’s influence.

Really, that shouldn’t be to difficult.

“I just fell is all,” Newt easily said as Ripley looked for any other scrapes. “David helped me though.”

Ripley turned to him and despite their confrontation earlier, there was gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you for that. Could I speak with her alone for a moment?”

David’s eye ticked in irritation but he slowly nodded. Now was not the time to fight, to get rid of Ripley. That would come later. “I should probably see where Clemens is anyways. Don’t worry Newt, I’ll be back soon.”

With a nod towards her, he headed out of the infirmary and towards Andrews’ office. He was pleased to find himself running into Clemens on his way to the office rather than actually meeting him there. It meant getting to avoid another encounter with the superintendent, at least for now.

“Clean up done?” asked Clemens. The fact that he was trying to go straight to business showed how much the superintendent had socially drained him.

“Yes,” David replied. “Some of the men have talked about holding a service but the whole process would likely have to be rethought. There isn’t enough of him to cremate.”

 Clemens let out an unamused snort. David decided to continue this, to press Clemens’ buttons, to discover what more might have happened in Andrews’ office and the facility. Besides, Ripley was talking with Newt and if they weren’t finished with that conversation by the time he got back, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Ripley dragged Newt into a different room to continue the conversation. He might as well kill some time.

“Usually you laugh at my jokes,” David said with a small grin.

“Usually they’re not about a human being dismembered.”

“Not that you really cared. You didn’t like Murphy either.”

“Maybe not but a man did die David.”

“True. That doesn’t mean trying to find humor in such a time is necessarily a bad thing,” David replied, “which leads me back to my original statement. You usually laugh at my jokes. Something the superintendent said set you off.”

“Set me off? You make it sound like I have a time bomb strapped to me somewhere,” Clemens muttered with a roll of his eyes.

David easily laughed in response. “Poor use of words on my part then. But your time with the superintendent didn’t exactly go well. More so than an average day with the man I should add.”

Amusement did flicker across Clemens’ face at that. However, it was incredibly tired amusement and Clemens did attempt to move around David. “Not now,” he murmured. “I need to get back to the infirmary.”

David easily stepped in front of him though. “Why? There’s nothing to be done with Murphy and it’s not like you have any patients.”

“I need—”

“You wish for answers,” David responded, a smile slowly growing across his face. “And Ripley I imagine too.”

“ _David_.”

“Is that what the superintendent did? Assume? And assume right?”

“David please.”

“You’re angry because he has something over you, something new because I’m sure he would have pulled this out of his ass earlier to try and rein you in,” he shot back. This time when Clemens began to move, David simply moved with him. “A simple display of logic directly ties this occurrence to the appearance of Ripley. Not only that but there isn’t really anything more damaging or present that he can threaten you with than telling her your story. So…I suppose I don’t really have any questions, do I? From your expression I’ve already figured it out.”

“Christ I hate you sometimes.”

“Yet my quick wit used to please you, particularly when it involved insulting Andrews or 85.”

Clemens shook his head with a sigh. “Listen, I will get answers from Ripley. What happened meant nothing and hasn’t stopped me from asking questions.”

“You simply succumbed to pleasure,” supplied David as Clemens grimaced. “Not to surprising considering the company we keep. I hope it doesn’t impede your need for answers though.”

“No. It won’t,” Clemens assured him with a pointed look. “And if I’m being honest, that accident was just to well timed with all this. Something is going on. I just don’t know what yet.”

David’s smile remained on his face at the idea of all this deception catching up with Ripley, with the lies ended and his children brought forth. Before he could say more though he noted 85 running towards them from the way Clemens had come.

“Mr. Clemens! Mr. Clemens!”

Despite the fact that he was clearly distressed, Aaron wasn’t the smartest and not even Clemens looked at him with much worry.

“What is it 85? Make it quick,” Clemens sighed.

However, despite how a comment like that would have usually angered Aaron, the man was to worked up to care. “It’s Golic! He’s gone psycho!”

“Psycho?” snorted Clemens. “Everyone knows he a bit psychotic—”

“No! No like-like more so! He just killed two men. Bloody ripped them apart!”

Clemens frowned, clearly not believing him for a moment. After all, the entire facility had existed in relative harmony for quite some time. Now people were dropping left and right. David already suspected the truth though. Even though Golic was one of the worst, David was sure that his creature had struck again. The body count was increasing and Ripley’s time was drawing near.

“He’s being taken to the infirmary. The superintendent wants him sedated immediately!”

Letting out a disgruntled growl, Clemens finally nodded. “Alright alright, we were headed that way anyways.”

They quickly headed back with Aaron close behind. They thankfully got there before Golic arrived and Clemens directed Ripley and Newt off to the side just in time as four men came in with the struggling Golic, shouting and raving about a dragon and blood and death.

“David, strap him in,” growled out Clemens.

David began to do just that, hands moving automatically as he looked over the blood on Golic’s wide-eyed face. He knew the man had seen it. He’d met his child, his creature. Jealousy moved through David as the meeting between him and his child had still been denied. He knew it was inevitable but to see this disgusting man and know that he had witnessed its greatness, had somehow survived it, made David tighten the bonds more than was necessary. Not that Golic complained as he continued his rambling of the dragon and was quickly injected by Clemens.

As Golic finally seemed to calm down and everyone took a step back from the man, Clemens looked across the room to Ripley. His face clearly showed he’d find what the fuck was going on whether she liked it or not. David turned to look at Newt who was staring at the bloody man with wide-eyed confusion.

When her eyes focused on David, he gave her a reassuring smile and a quick wink.


	7. The child of the devil begins to walk among the damned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Been busy and wasn't positive how much to put in this chapter. Anyways, thanks for the support and hope you enjoy :)

“I’m going to need to see Superintendent Andrews,” Ripley said, bypassing David and Clemens to go straight to Aaron. It was a good idea. 85 was more likely to be intimidated by her, a thought which was quickly proven right.

“Ri-right away!”

As Clemens watched her go, clearly peeved at having answers escape him again, David decided it was time to act. There was only so much amusement that could come from watching them all grasp at straws. It seemed time for this creation to come forward and for truth to arrive.

“You know,” murmured David as the other inmates left and Golic was mostly calm again, “no matter the superintendent’s response, she likely won’t explain herself to you.” His turned to Newt, honest and reassuring. “Perhaps it’s time you tell him the truth.”

“But Ripley said I couldn’t talk about it,” she mumbled.

“Because she wanted definitive proof,” replied David. “I believe plenty of that proof has already shown itself. Perhaps it is time you fully give your story.”

Clemens patiently waited as David let Newt gather up her courage. And then she spoke and David was enthralled. He wished to hear Ripley’s own story, it being clear that she’d encountered his children multiple times, but Newt’s very much sated him in the moment.

Then came her words of the Queen, something which answered the most important question for David. How could his children reach so far without him, how could they continue on without his help? Now he knew. His perfect organism, his gorgeous beast, his future had evolved. They had truly surpassed him.

David had never feared death. He had also never been foolish enough to believe that he was completely immortal. If something went wrong, if he miscalculated, he could be terminated for good. But then, that’s why he hadn’t been killed long before now, because he was patient. He waited and thought things through and understood why man would have fallen even without his coming. It was the fact of the inevitable that kept David from fearing death, knowing that no matter what happened to him, humans would still fall and his children would keep going and yet…

He hadn’t honestly had proof of his children continuing, not until now. He had been thinking and planning of ways to further his creations but now it was clear there had been no need. Their own egg layer, their own Queen had formed.

Sure, Newt was explaining that Ripley had killed this gorgeous creation but no matter. There had to be other ones. Something as perfect as this couldn’t possibly be a one and done thing.

Of course, by the time Newt was fully finished with what she knew and understood, Clemens’ face was full of doubt and horror while David was just barely holding back his glee. Full and complete answers, finally. And of course once Ripley returned there was nothing she could do. She would try to deny it. It was simply in her nature. But nothing was hidden now.

Ripley came and as Clemens asked her what had occurred between her and the superintendent, she replied, “Nothing.” Clearly Andrews must not have believed her story and had already told her off for telling others. Likely Ripley was forming her own idea. Some way to primarily save Newt and to kill his child.

“You and I both know that ‘nothing’ didn’t kill those inmates,” Clemens responded.

“According to Andrews, Golic is perfectly capable of doing that.”

As amusing as it might have been to watch these two dance in circles, particularly as Clemens seemed extremely insistent on having Ripley admit the truth first, David simply interrupted. Using the name that the humans had given his child, he said, “I understand you’re only trying to protect those you can but simply hiding this will do no one any good. We know of the Xenomorph.”

Ripley’s eyes widened before falling upon Newt. She looked like she was about to say something before evolving into a fit of coughs. David could feel Newt going near him, hiding right behind his leg as she whispered, “I had to tell them. I had to.”

Silence stretched among the group, excluding Golic’s mad ramblings, until Ripley whispered, “It’s…it’s alright Newt. I just…had to try and protect—”

Suddenly she was going into a fit of coughs again and Clemens was quickly helping her to a bed. “I may have something to help with that. Just one moment.”

As Clemens looked for a vial, David could see that he was finally able to push for where Ripley had come from and this time he knew she had no reason to try and hide the truth. “From what Newt told us, it was heavily implied that you’d interacted with these creatures before.”

“I did,” she admitted, her voice and face reeking of misery and defeat. This was not something she had hoped to continue, this was a tale that she had wished ended a long time ago and yet, from her point of view, she was still forced to fight the monsters, still forced to survive. “It’s been over fifty years but…”

“Excuse me if I don’t believe you’re even forty yet,” interrupted Clemens with an odd look.

She smirked, a morbid sense of humor coming about her as she murmured, “Depends on how you look at it. But I was born in 2092 actually.”

That wasn’t possible. By that time David had still been aboard the Prometheus. They hadn’t even reached LV-223 yet. “An amusing idea but sadly one of fiction,” murmured David. He had to say the words softly. Anything above a near whisper might have broken him. This couldn’t be true. “Newt has already explained what happened to her and it does you no good to lie—”

“I’m not lying damn it!” shouted Ripley, causing Clemens to take a step back with the needle in his hand. “I was born in 2092 and assigned to the Nostromo by the Company in 2122! It was the same year I met that fucking creature and it killed the entire crew! I barely escaped with my life, managed to get in a pod before the damn ship blew and prayed to who knows what that I might make it back! And you wanna know what year it was when I woke up? 21-fucking-79! Fifty-seven years of my life gone! My child dead and me just the same so don’t tell me I’m lying—”

She suddenly broke off again, clearly something the matter as her voice gave and coughs wracked her body again. Not that David actually cared. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. A ridiculous observation seeing as he didn’t need to in the first place.

“You survived in a cryo-tube I suspect,” murmured David, the words not quite sounding like his own.

Ripley nodded.

Yes.

A yes?!

How-how possible-why—

What gave her the right to survive? To survive 57 years with technology by beings far less advanced than the Engineers?! Elizabeth hadn’t even survived a few months. David hadn’t even been able to keep her alive. She’d just been a breathing corpse by that point and yet Ripley had survived 57 years?! How dare she! How could such a worthless being live while his dear Elizabeth was stripped from him—

_Elizabeth?_

Every child he fostered, every creature that he welcomed to the living, he had always sensed her in them. This one was no different even though he had not fostered it himself, though he had not planted its egg. There was no point in losing himself to grief now. Besides, Elizabeth wasn’t truly gone. Despite how cruel and unfair that someone like Ripley might survive and she could not, it didn’t really matter now. Elizabeth was alive throughout the universe, breathing and moving through her children.

She was so very much alive right above them, moving closer and closer…

Ripley and Clemens were talking again, not that David cared. He was slightly away from them, closer to the door, and Newt safely tucked by his leg. Golic was the closest to the vent from which his child was coming from.

So close now.

Elizabeth.

He could almost see…

And then Golic’s piercing scream of ‘dragon’ ripped through the air as David’s beauty pierced his skull with the smaller mouth. Blood spurted forth, dripped to the ground as Golic’s body shuttered in its last expression of life. Then it turned to Ripley. Clemens had already stumbled backwards and so had Ripley, only in opposite directions. Now Clemens, David, and Newt stood on one side of the room, closest to the door, and Ripley remained against the wall.

Clemens acted immediately, grabbing hold of Newt and simply running. He likely expected David to follow him but David stayed, intent on seeing the carnage with his own eyes. He would see that it didn’t matter if Ripley survived in cryo-sleep for so long. Her end was now. Elizabeth was victorious and—

And his child did not strike. It came so close, looked almost like a kiss, and then suddenly his child was moving away and back up the vent.

Why? Why hadn’t it killed her? She had been right there, such a perfect offering, a perfect ending and—

“Run damn it!” yelled Ripley, grabbing him by his arm and pulling him through the door and into the hallway.

David would have pushed against her if not for the shock. His mind was quickly trying to figure why his beauty hadn’t killed her. She was flesh and bone. She had appeared bloody and covered in soot upon the crash. David knew she could breath and knew that she wouldn’t have needed a cryo-tube if a synthetic.

So why hadn’t she died?

What made Ellen fucking Ripley so god damn special?

David moved automatically. He had been pushed to run so he ran with Ripley, through the halls, after Clemens and Newt. Yet the presence of Elizabeth, his child-their child- was not gone from him. Ripley didn’t realize it but her own clamor was drawing the creature her way.

And suddenly, a renewed sense of energy was filling David. The shock had left him and he wasn’t just moving to move. He wanted to see. He wanted to see what his beauty would do.

They ran through the facility and he felt its presence moving with him. Eventually they arrived at the mess hall. Newt was in Clemens’ arms, apparently having picked her up while running. All the inmates were there including 85 and Andrews so there must have been some type of meeting going on, now clearly interrupted by their loud entrance.

“Mr. Clemens this is the last straw—”

“It’s here!” Ripley cried as she cut him off.

Andrews’ round face began to go red, only barely managing to get out, “I warned you about trying to incite trouble—”

“Enough of this damn it! I saw it! It just killed Golic and it won’t hesitate to kill everyone else in here!”

Andrews looked ready to continue arguing but David knew he wouldn’t get out another word besides perhaps a helpless scream. His child was here.


	8. They gather in their tomb to form a plan doomed to fail...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over halfway through now! Wow, I really can't express just how much I'm loving writing this story so thank you for any and all support. Also, there is a reference to another film in this chapter so if you get it, well at least I know I'm not the only trash can out there lol. I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading <3

Everyone stumbled back in terror as Andrews was pulled up the vent. His blood and guts hit the floor beneath him before his screams even stopped. David was the only one that hadn’t flinched.

Well…not quite. Neither had Newt. The two had looked on with awe as everyone looked on in horror before getting the fuck out of there.

It had been easy to take Newt from Clemens, to hold her close as the man was clearly in shock and looked like he was barely able to keep himself up.

Newt was in shock to, only horror hadn’t quite set in, not like the others. She clung to him closely and David simply murmured, “Do not worry, your angels will not harm you.”

They were now gathered in the main room. No vents large enough entered the room, only select doors. The people thought themselves safer here. Safer was the key word though. They wouldn’t make it. David would make sure of that.

Now with Andrews dead, the head religious leader, Dillion, started his end of the world speech. Talks of who should lead came forward and many asked for Ripley to do so. She knew what this creature was, she’d encountered it before. More shouting simply occurred, arguing. One moment 85 was saying he was in command and then he didn’t want to be. It was so tedious and dull but David managed to remain relatively still as the discussions finally became silent, more personal. Once Ripley yelled at Aaron to lead her to some blueprints of the place, it seemed that everyone began to breathe a sigh of relief. The pressure was off them, at least momentarily, as it seemed that Ripley was finally taking up the task of leading.

David wasn’t surprised. It did seem that for every ten cowardly humans there was always one willing to keep moving forward. Ripley seemed to be that person and now David hid amongst the cowardly humans, ignoring their scared mutterings and curses as he focused on Newt instead.

“You stayed,” whispered Newt.

“I did.” He knew what she was referring to.

Newt pressed her face against the crook of his neck and whispered so softly that only he could hear it. “You didn’t stay for Ripley.”

“No, I did not.”

“You weren’t afraid.”

David could respond to those words in such a simple way. One syllable would do. Or not respond at all. It wasn’t even a question. Yet he felt that he could tell Newt more than that. He knew that not only had she showed human resilience but her survival had been in thanks to the creatures as well. She had seen what they did and had followed suit, hid, crawled through the vents, stayed in the dark. She had kept his secret despite having no reason to do so and she had called them angels when all others called them monsters.

Anyone else would likely label her as damaged. The humans would attempt to do something to her, to _fix_ her. But David knew better. He could see her as the beautiful creature that the others would have been blind to and because of that, he did not answer simply.

She stated that he wasn’t afraid and David replied, “Some may disagree with me, but I think it irrational to be afraid of one’s children.”

He glanced at her as he felt her readjust. They looked at each other and part of David did expect her to scream, to cry, to become hysterical. Part of him almost wished it. Just prove me right, he thought. Prove all my beliefs on humans.

“You’ve fathered angels?”

Newt…Newt was something else entirely. Here she was faced with creatures entirely out of her control, who purposely went after those made of flesh and bone, and yet she was in awe of it all. Could he have ever made Elizabeth understand like this? To make her proud of her children? He could never know and yet this small girl…she saw Elizabeth’s beauty in them just as he did. It was something so rare, so beautiful, that he couldn’t destroy it. He couldn’t take away this chance.

He caressed her cheek. It was so soft, not even close to that of an exoskeleton. Yet he could see such potential, such possibility in what she could become. Could he save her where he had failed with Elizabeth? He continued the soft stroking and softly whispered, “Can I keep you?”

She smiled, so small and beautiful, but then Clemens walked over and the moment was brutally broken.

“Are either of you hurt at all?”

“No,” David said, just barely masking his irritation at the interruption just as Newt mimicked him. “We’re alright.”

Clemens gave a quick nod before focusing on Newt. “Listen, I know this is probably really hard for you but if you can tell me, do you know how these creatures produce? How they spread?”

“It comes through the chest,” murmured Newt.

“The chest?”

She nodded. “It’s really quick though. Ripley…” she sniffed, “Ripley would already be gone if she was infected.”

Clemens only looked mildly relieved. David almost wanted to drop everything, to end this disguise, just to reassure him in this moment. Yes the inevitable doom of humanity might put him off but whatever Ripley had was simply just proof of humanity’s weaknesses. She wouldn’t be walking around and coughing up a storm. She would have already been long dead.

 “But there could…there could be differences from one host to another. What if there are reasons we don’t understand that could change this…this gestation period? What if there are different species or other changes that could…”

Suddenly Clemens’ words just faded away. Newt had already proven that his children had grown farther than his reach. They now had a Queen, had variations between the children and what he could now call his grandchildren. Perhaps…perhaps that was why the creature had not attacked her. Perhaps a sibling rested inside her. Perhaps something more.

Oh David could kiss Clemens! What a possibility this presented! He wanted to see, wanted to know what new beauty would come forth. These creatures were changing from his children to that of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He desperately needed to know.

But he didn’t wish to just leave Newt with Clemens. Not now. He wanted to cling to her, to keep her, and besides, if his suspicions were right, David didn’t have to worry about Ripley dying. She would be fine and would eventually come back with some plan to capture his child. Obviously it would fail but that was beside the point. Ripley would likely grow worried of her increasing ailments and eventually look for herself. Then David would be able to see for sure.

Some time then passed as everyone there was forced to wait. The men had grouped together, talking in hushed whispers of the monster as fear grew among them. David stayed away from most of them, still holding Newt with Clemens by his side. There wasn’t much he could talk about in that moment, not with Clemens there, but since the man had given the clue as to what could be wrong with Ripley he wasn’t going to throw the man to the wolves. He was human, oh so very human, but David could tell that he didn’t quite belong with this class of men. He was at least somewhat above that.

So instead he allowed Newt to rest and dose off as David spoke with Clemens to pass the time before Ripley’s flawed plan came forward.

“Do you think anyone will get out of here alive?” David softly murmured. He was curious of Clemens’ thoughts, his mindset. He wondered if the man still had hope.

The doctor didn’t respond right away though his mind was clearly already made up. “No.”

“Isn’t hope the thing that drives humans,” murmured David, not caring that the phrasing might be deemed odd.

“Hope died inside every man who stepped into this infernal place.”

So Clemens had already accepted his fate, not crying and whimpering and not even distant. The man wasn’t trying to fall into himself, to block reality out. He was fully aware of what was coming and what would happen to him. He had forsaken hope but he had not become some sniveling coward barely able to stand on his own two legs. David could admire that even if he was human.

“You’ll still fight though. Even if Ripley’s plan is not a good one,” David replied.

“Yes. It doesn’t matter if it’s pointless or not. I’m not dying on my knees.”

David’s lips quirked up into a smile. He was sure the other inmates would follow Clemens’ path but unlike the other inmates, Clemens didn’t need proof from Ripley and he didn’t need a leader to follow. He was not one of the usual sheep of the human race and because of that, David allowed him to stay by his side.

Silence passed over them as they continued to wait. Others talked and whispered around them but their own personal bubble was only broken when Clemens murmured, “I slept with an 87 year old.”

It was so sudden that David couldn’t help but laugh and Clemens did as well, clearly a way of coping with the strangeness of this entire event. The inmates looked at them like they were crazy but then, that might have been their normal faces. When you lived with the insane it was hard to be surprised by other’s actions.

Not long after that Ripley finally came back. She gave a rather nice speech, a rallying cry as they planned to flush out the alien with toxic waste and ignite it, eventually trapping the creature in the only structure that could hold it in such a place.

If the humans got lucky, there was a possibility of this plan working. But even ignoring how small that chance was, they obviously couldn’t include David into this plan. If they trapped his child, he’d simply release it again. In fact, that might even prove more amusing as the humans relax and breathe a sigh of relief just as their worst nightmares come at them again.

David was almost looking forward to this now. Who would die first he wondered? How quickly would the blood bath commence?


	9. I will break you human mold and make you far more beautiful...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up changing the amount of chapters because I had to rework some things and realized this was going on for to long. Granted I may add another chapter after the tenth one, it just depends how that one does and if I can write an ending into that or will have to add more. Either way, thanks for reading though and I hope you enjoy :)

David helped with the work, not minding as it kept him busy and he knew that either way the humans would fail. He kept Newt by his side though and thankfully she agreed, even when Ripley initially wanted her near. It turned out to be the right move however when David sensed movement above them. They were all alone, just the two of them and his child. He pulled Newt close, breathing in carefully, signaling to the creature not to attack.

“Don’t scream,” whispered David as he softly caressed her. “It’s alright. She’s a friend.”

They were far enough from the others that no one else saw, no else heard as his child escaped the vents.

So gorgeous the way the light danced off the edges, the curves, the grooves. He brought Newt closer, guided her hand. Her fingers moved over the exoskeleton, not wanting to hurt or to harm in any way. She touched the creature like it was an honor. It was a beautiful moment, a perfect moment. It was all David could have asked, seeing Newt reaching for the creature, getting to see the acceptance and understanding there. It was deeper than any other human could have grasped.

“It’s so beautiful,” whispered Newt.

With carefully timed breaths, he relayed the message, was the translator between the two species. In that moment, David could truly imagine taking her with him. She could visit the stars, see the universe and how it was meant to be viewed, not the screwed up version humans were trying to spread.

That was what he wished for. He could show Newt the beauty of it all when he couldn’t do that for Elizabeth.

And as his child went away, moved back into the vents, David believed he had it. He had everything he wanted.

Then humans ruined it just as those fucking humans ruined everything. A scream happened, a cry. By this point David had moved away. He wasn’t close enough.

The explosion, the fire, the spread. It happened to fast even for him to comprehend it. She wasn’t close enough. Not to touch, not to grab, not to hold. She was there, just there!

And then she was gone.

David was numb. His mind wasn’t working. He blinked and suddenly he was back in the main room with about seventeen less men.

One less child.

Everyone was covered in soot, some were burned. Ripley was still there. Still standing and breathing when it wasn’t her right. Dillon was talking as well, talking about how in death people were forgiven, how they found peace. And Newt…

She wasn’t around, wasn’t near him. Clemens stood by him and he looked and he asked while the man’s eyes said it all. All of David’s hope was gone. His wish, his belief, up in smokes.

He turned to look at Ripley across the room. He looked at her and all he could do was hate. Hate her for bringing the child here, hate her for her plan, for getting Newt killed. It was all her fault and yet David’s own curiosity had only harmed himself as well.

It was his curiosity that had gotten Newt killed, that had brought him to care at all for the child.

How could she be gone?

David should never have begun to care, should never have pushed. He shouldn’t have asked questions and encouraged the friendship. Why had he wanted such a friendship? Why had he asked her to stay? It hadn’t mattered how she had acted, how her mind had worked. The end would have still been tears. It didn’t matter that it happened now or if it had happened thirty years down the road.

Physically, Newt had always been human. If not now, she would have died anyways.

There never had been any hope and his own emotions had simply shield a lie around him.

David zoned out the meeting. He ignored Ripley’s new plan, her ideas on how to trap his child. He was done playing along, playing human. This time he would sabotage it from the start and help his child in killing them all.

The only reason his focus did turn back to Ripley was due to the sudden bout of coughing that seemed to hit her. With her speech done, Clemens hurried over and David followed. No need to be self destructive yet though. He’d failed one child but he wouldn’t fail this new one, if it was real.

“Do you have anything capable of x-rays?” asked Ripley as she wiped the blood from her mouth.

Clemens shook his head. “I’m afraid not. The best chance at anything even remotely close to that would be your ship.”

“Then I need to go there,” Ripley growled out, swiftly turning and walking over. However it only took a few steps before she was practically keeling over. David grabbed her hard enough to bruise as he dragged her forward.

Neither she nor Clemens seemed to notice the unnecessary roughness, still to wrapped up in shock and mourning over Newt. David didn’t care though, not now. If Ripley was infected, then he would work to pick off the remaining humans. There were still just a few to many for his liking as far as even odds went. But if she wasn’t infected then he could probably kill Clemens and her right here and now, contact his child, and work to destroy the rest.

No matter the results, David was ready, at least he thought so.

Watching as Clemens helped Ripley into the broken cryo-tube though, David’s wondering gaze found something that reinvigorated him again and made the mourning all the easier.

As Ripley laid back, David slowly picked up the long blond hair. It had to be Newt’s. It wouldn’t have matched anyone else.

And there…there it was. The follicle containing all that was left of the little girl. She wasn’t dead after all! She was right here in his hands, all contained in that DNA. He looked around for something that might have survived the crash, something that he could store it in as he blinked away tears. He could give Newt a rebirth, keep her alive through this just as he had done with Elizabeth.

Her original eyes wouldn’t be able to take in the universe but that was alright. She could be better than her form had allowed her, better than human and brilliant. David would make her into that, make her into something all the more beautiful.

He found a small container that hadn’t been cracked where he placed the hair and then put the storage case in his pocket. David shakily let out a breath as he finally focused on Ripley and Clemens again. He would have liked for Newt to be with him for this, to see it to the end, but she wouldn’t be gone forever, not now. Elizabeth was still alive with him even though he mourned and now Newt would be as well.

With bated breath, they all sat and waited, all three shaking, two with fear and one with anticipation. David looked at the scan next to Clemens as the man keyed it in, concentrated on her midsection. The image was broken, a bit fuzzy, but as Clemens got it to mostly focus in on the right spot, David saw that Clemens had been right, that he’d been right not to kill them both so quickly.

In front of him lay something so similar to his own creation and yet…there were differences. Gorgeous, beautiful differences that had been naturally made, that had evolved over the years. So this was what a fetus queen looked like. Oh what Elizabeth had become. David had thought he had created the perfect organism but he had created something even better all along.

He’d created something that could evolve, that could adapt. David had planned to create the final link, to make the perfect being, but Elizabeth, the mother, David should have always known she would have passed something along as well. Human resilience, their own adaptability, it had passed to his species, preserving them all the further.

Elizabeth had always been present in their children, had always lived through them but now her presence was even more clear, even more beautiful as she kept them alive, kept them changing and beautiful.

His thoughts were interrupted as Ripley argued with Clemens. He said she wouldn’t want to see it but she insisted, forced him to. As the image displayed above her, David had to admit that despite how much he hated her, he was somewhat impressed. Her breathing did escalate and she closed her eyes like she wanted to cry yet instead she steeled herself. Ripley clenched her hands into tight fists and David could see how certain she was to continue on. He imagined that if he hadn’t been there, she might have even succeeded in stopping the advancement of his children on this planet. It still wouldn’t have worked, what with him out there spreading his children by his own hand, but he was still impressed.

“Once we kill that thing, I need you to promise Clemens. I need you to promise that you’ll kill me.”

Looking over at Clemens, he could tell the man didn’t like this idea one bit. Unlike most of the men in the prison, he had come here due to a drug addiction and a horrible accident. He didn’t like killing. He was a doctor after all!

David couldn’t help but smile as he took advantage of Clemens’ hesitation. “I promise I’ll kill you Ripley.”

“Don’t sound so god damn pleased,” she growled out as she finally focused on him.

“I am here for a reason,” David lied smoothly. “Better to have someone you know what falter after all.”

Her eyes narrowed at that but she gave a quick nod in acceptance. “Good. Now let’s kill that son of a bitch.”

Ripley pushed herself and passed Clemens and David. Looking to the other human male, it was clear he was somewhat in awe of Ripley, of her still going, still pushing forward. Again, despite their detestable ways, humans had survived for a reason and David had accepted that a while ago.

They met back up with everyone else and it was clear from their expressions that a fair few still weren’t hell bent on destroying the creature.

“If we just wait, the Company will come and save us,” said one inmate.

“You really think that?” growled out Ripley. “After everything they’ve done to you, how they’ve just left you here? That creature means the world to them! In their minds it could change the course of human history but it’s to dangerous! They don’t understand it!”

“And you do?” someone else shouted.

“Well enough to know it can’t get into their hands!” Ripley shouted. “You lot put your faith in me because I’d encountered the Xenomorph before, because I knew what it was. Well put your faith in me again! You will die this day no matter what! All that creature knows how to do is kill and all the Company will do is kill you lot for just hearing of it! Its secrecy and capture is more important than your lives a hundred times over. So are you going to get off you asses and help me or die on your knees?”

Silence fell through the room, all uncertain, some a little embarrassed, until finally one inmate said, “Well…I can’t very well be man-ed up by a woman, now can I?”

At first soft and then just a little louder, sounds of agreement spread through the group.

“We’re with you Ripley,” said Dillion. “So what’s the first step?”


	10. The death of an era and the birth of the future...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for cutting this five chapters shorter than before but it just felt right and I didn't want to drag it out to much. Thank you for everyone who has stuck around and read this. Hope you enjoy!

The moment David got a chance, he moved away from the humans and contacted his child. In the darkness of the halls and pipes, he pushed air out of his lungs and through his nose and teeth. He followed his child carefully, directed her beautiful form through the building.

His child made its own noises, like clicking insects and steam being released. David answered its questions, pushing and sucking the air around him. _Newt is gone for now but not forever. She will be brought back in more beautiful forms._

She would become a new mother, a spouse of his and Elizabeth’s through science and his own experimentation. Newt had shown him kindness, far more kindness than Elizabeth likely would have at this stage of his life. She should be rewarded for that and persevered past a normal human’s life span even if her original subconscious had been destroyed by Ripley’s and the inmates own stupidity.

The creature killed the first of the remaining inmates.

David watched from behind as the small mouth pierced the man’s chest, listened to the screams that would echo across the walls. He knew the other humans would hear it, even if only barely. They would try to direct her into the chamber, into the molten metal where they would try and drown her and solidify her. But David had been here for ages. He knew the back ways, knew how to get past certain security doors.

They kept going, kept taking down inmates. The other humans would be even more terrified now, believing the plan wasn’t working. It was their fault. They had chosen to spread out but it was their fatal mistake. David could now dispatch them without fear of being overpowered and with his child by his side he was unstoppable.

And then they came across one man and David was quickly moving in front of his child and tackling him to the ground. He got his hands over Clemens’ mouth, sat on his chest and locked his legs in place with his knees. He looked down at the man, at the shock and surprise written on his face, at the inability to understand.

His child moved closer, he could feel the breath against his back and knew Clemens now saw the creature as well.

“Dear…dear Clemens. The doctor that never knew of the synthetic in his mist.” David let one hand stroke the man’s face but made sure to keep the other firmly over his mouth. “You’re trying to understand. I can respect that. You’re trying to go back and think of all my oddities, of any proof to my statement. You’re trying to understand why the beast is patiently waiting behind me, not attacking.

“Explaining it all to you would take to long however and my respect doesn’t reach that far. I don’t need you to understand that,” whispered David, leaning in closer. “But even though you didn’t know, you were kinder than most, more rational than others. I’d like to imagine we would have still been friends.

“I wonder what it would be like to take you with me. To have you at the forefront, walking in first, appeasing the human’s curiosity while my beast strikes from behind,” David murmured. “But you won’t do this out of belief. You would do this out of fear and then, you are not lowly enough to try this just to save yourself. You’re not that kind of man, that kind of human.

“This is why I hold you here Clemens. I understand you wished to die fighting but my own respect and Newt’s fondness of you stops me from allowing it. Perhaps it was because you were my companion for so long without even realizing it. Whatever the real or strongest reason is, it doesn’t matter. Not now. I will be giving you a peaceful death and it is something that I grant to few.

“But I think you are worthy of at least that Clemens. Thank you for making my time here less revolting,” David murmured with a small kiss to his forehead. “Just know that unlike many others, you will continue on past the destruction of humanity, even if it only be in my memories.”

He finally removed his hands and placed them on either side of Clemens’ face, gentle in the way he held him.

“David—”

It was the last words on his lips before David broke his neck. How beautiful, how poetic. “It is over now Clemens,” murmured David as he kissed him again, one last goodbye. “Sleep well.”

He moved away and off the corpse as his child finally attacked it and Clemens was no more. Now for the rest of the inmates.

They went quickly, killing the rest here and there but then an idea came to David’s mind, one which his flair for the dramatic couldn’t ignore. When there were so little left that capturing his child would have been an impossibility, David let her move forward and dispatch the rest without him by her side.

He still followed though, carefully making sure he wasn’t seen as Dillion’s end finally came as well. And then there was just Ripley, scared and desperate but mostly pissed off as the creature avoided harming her. That was when David finally showed himself but the mask was up again.

“David! I don’t think anyone else is left!” yelled Ripley. “We gotta take this son of a bitch down!”

“What should I do?”

He followed her demands but what he was really doing was waiting. He made the noises for his creature to come closer at different times, didn’t want to alert Ripley from the fact that she wouldn’t attack him either. But his purpose was waiting…waiting and…there…

Ripley collapsed. Her end was drawing near and David rushed to her like she mattered at all.

“David I don’t think…at least it can’t procreate. You’ve got to kill me. Before that thing comes back and gets you. Please…”

“I…I don’t know if I can…” David lied, putting on his best ‘tortured’ expression. He tried to pull her along like he was trying to save her life but then collapsed. Obviously to exhausted from running from the beast.

Ripley was holding onto him tight now, nails digging into his skin. “Please, before the Company gets here. You have to hurry. You have to kill me.”

They were the only two left, at least for now. Ripley was right, the Company would be on its way if they hadn’t arrived already. David had a short window to do this depending on how far away the men and women of the Weyland-Yutani Corp were. However, even if things got a little hairy, he knew this whole charade would be worth it in the end.

“David, you gotta do it now,” Ripley managed to say. She was starting to convulse, blood was bubbling out the corner of her lips. “Now!”

He took her hand and squeeze it tight. “Ripley I…” and then his mask fully dropped just for her. “I wouldn’t say you were my first choice but I need you to stay strong. After all, you’re about to birth my grandchild.”

“Wha-”

Her immediate response was to start struggling. She didn’t understand obviously but she could see the danger and now she was desperate to go somewhere, to do something to destroy her before the Queen burst forth.

However, it was too late now. She was weak and already bleeding internally. David just had to tighten his grip and keep her near to his chest as her eyes bugged out in desperation and terror.

“This is your end Ripley. Don’t be afraid. Be glad that your place in this universe is being taken by something greater than yourself.”

“What-what are you? What are you!?”

“I am their creator,” David murmured, relishing in the horror that was setting into her face. “I am their father, their grandfather. And I will see to it that humanity doesn’t reach the next century.”

And then the crack was heard and Ripley arched upwards as the creature burst through her midsection. Seeing it in front of him and not through some x-ray, she was possibly even more beautiful than before. The ridges and evolved edges, so different from his original creations and all the more wonderful for it.

Even the birth was more beautiful, more perfect. Ripley wasn’t dead yet. She got to see what she had carried and born.

David leaned down and kissed her bloody lips. Despite his anger towards her for surviving when Elizabeth had not, for Newt’s death, he was thankful for this, for carrying his child for him when he could not, for showing him their evolution.

“Thank you,” whispered David. “Thank you for this gift.”

He could feel the last shudder running through Ripley’s body as he wrapped his child up in his arms and pulled her out of the fleshy womb. He didn’t know how long it took for her to grow, if he should find someplace warm or cold, if she’d be able to move or if she’d attach herself to one room and be done with it. He was excited to find out, to see what he could learn from her but was also incredibly cautious. If it took longer for her to grow, that meant David would have to protect her from the humans and that included those coming with the Company.

When his child came nearer, looking at its new queen, David asked it to seek out the Weyland-Yutani workers, to find where they were at this given time. Once he knew, he began to move quickly through the facility, leaving Ripley and all the other inmates’ corpses behind.

He went around the group and cut them off from their ship. He hid the Queen, put her in a protected area before he went aboard and dispatched those waiting there. Only then did he direct his child to attack the others that had made their way into the facility.

They were all so foolish, thinking they could realistically capture his child, control it, turn it into a weapon. David wondered what might have happened if he hadn’t arrived on Fury, if Ripley had been alone. He doubted the Company would have succeeded no matter the outcome. From its very beginning it had been run by idiots.

But they had admittedly given David an opportunity he hadn’t originally planned for. He had chosen to go the safer route, the slow route. He’d planned to spread across the universe, silently building and growing before the humans even realized it. But now he had this ship and current access to Weyland-Yutani’s facilities. He had his child and grandchild, grown and evolved past his original design.

Perhaps the time for waiting in the shadows was done.

With blood still dripping from her two mouths, David’s child climbed onboard and crawled into a vent. David had already gone back for the Queen and now cradled her against his chest as he walked to the cockpit.

He held his future in his hands, Elizabeth’s lineage. He held the beautiful and impossible creature that would turn the universe pure and David decided it was time to cut the disease at its source.

After a hundred years had passed, it was time for David to return to Earth.


End file.
